Amsterdam · School search
Compare private and subsidised IB schools, Dutch secondary education and French primary education. Eligibility, campus and the child’s next qualification matter more than the international label.
Amsterdam offers several international routes, but they do not serve the same families.
The International School of Amsterdam, or ISA, is an independent day school in Amstelveen for ages 2–18. It offers the full International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum and publishes private tuition. It is not subsidised by the Dutch government. English-entry expectations become stricter in Grades 9–11, so ask for an assessment before planning a senior transfer.
Amsterdam International Community School, or AICS, is a subsidised Dutch International School for ages 4–18. It offers IB programmes at South and Sandcastle campuses; the Career-related Programme is currently only at South. Ask which campus and programme are available.
Subsidy comes with statutory eligibility. AICS is for internationally mobile families. Children with only Dutch nationality normally need two of the previous three years at school abroad, or evidence from an employer that the family will relocate abroad within two years. The latter condition is checked again at the transition to secondary. Dutch-only Diploma pupils must take Dutch as a Group 1 language. Confirm the current admissions policy.
Het Dalton Spinoza Lyceum, on Peter van Anrooystraat, teaches in Dutch. It offers mavo, havo, atheneum and gymnasium routes leading to Dutch qualifications. Its Dalton approach gives pupils scheduled independent-work periods; it is not an English programme.
Entry to the first secondary year follows Amsterdam’s central matching process after the primary-school recommendation. Attendance at a Dalton primary school no longer creates priority. A pupil entering later follows a separate transfer process. Use the current central application information, not an international admissions portal.
Lycée français Vincent van Gogh has an Amsterdam site on Rustenburgerstraat for maternelle and élémentaire only. The French collège and lycée years, including the baccalaureate, are in The Hague. Choose the Amsterdam campus only with a realistic plan for the move after primary.
ISA and AICS publish 2026–27 charges, but the structures differ. ISA’s tuition excludes several charges in its separate schedule. AICS’s total includes specified activities and examination fees, then adds registration and a refundable deposit. Compare the exact year-group totals.
For Spinoza, the parent contribution in the reviewed guide was from 2024–25 and voluntary. Ask for the current school guide. The French school publishes 2026–27 fees and a first-registration charge.
Test Amstelveen, South, Sandcastle, Peter van Anrooystraat and Rustenburgerstraat only when the relevant school is genuinely available. The Amsterdam hub and Netherlands guide provide the wider search.
Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.
AICS is a state-funded Dutch international day school for internationally mobile families. It offers the full IB continuum in English across two Amsterdam campuses. Statutory eligibility, available places and support capacity all matter before a place can be offered.
AmsterdamSpinoza Lyceum is a public, Dutch-medium Dalton secondary school in Amsterdam-Zuid. It offers mavo, havo, atheneum and gymnasium, with first-year admission through Amsterdam’s central matching system.
AmstelveenAn independent English-medium IB day school for ages 2–18 in Amstelveen. Check grade-specific English requirements, learning support and the full cost beyond tuition.
The HagueVincent van Gogh is a French state-system day school on two sites. The Hague teaches from petite section through Terminale. Amsterdam stops after CM2, so families there need another plan for secondary school.
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
7 minA useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.